Pinkie Pie worked in Sugarcube Corner with Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake playing with one another, Carrot Cake and Cup Cake came in shortly afterwards,
"Pinkie, you have a letter." Mr. Cake said, Pinkie Pie dashed to in front of them,
"Who is it? Is it from Yakyakistan? Canterlot? Cloudsdale? Seaquestria? Mount Aris? I wanna know!" Pinkie Pie replied excitedly,
"Actually, Pinkie, it's from another pony, one we don't know of." Cup Cake said, Pinkie Pie's excitement died down,
"Oh, well, thank you, I'll read it now." Pinkie Pie replied, and she took the letter and went behind the shelf while Mr. and Mrs. Cake left.
Pinkie Pie was excited on who gave her mail, she looks and saw it was from a mare named Fiery Heart, Pinkie Pie's excitement died down a bit, she sensed she knew what it was about, she opens the envelope and reads the letter,
"Dear, Pinkie Pie,
This is Fiery Heart, Cool Head passed away four days ago, his funeral is tomorrow, and he wanted you to attend.
Your friend,
-Fiery Heart"
Pinkie Pie was very sad at what she read, those two were special friends of hers, they were both very special to her, their problems when she met them still saddened her to this very day. Pinkie Pie still remembers how they looked, Fiery Heart was a Pegasus, she had a dark red coat, long bright orange mane and tail, yellow eyes, and her cutie mark was a red heart, she was about the same age as Pinkie Pie, and Cool Head was a unicorn, he had a pale sky blue coat, short gray mane, tail, beard, moustache, and sideburns, dark blue eyes, he wore glasses over them, and his cutie mark was a pink brain, he was very old when Pinkie Pie met him, he looked like he was around Granny Smith's age when she met him many years ago, she was not surprised he has passed, but was still sad.
The next day comes and Pinkie Pie told Mr. and Mrs. Cake she had to take the day off,
"Is something wrong, Pinkie?" Mrs. Cake asked,
"I have to attend a funeral today." Pinkie Pie replied, Mr. and Mrs. Cake were surprised, so were the ponies around them, who overhead her, among them were her five friends,
"Did something happen?" Mr. Cake asked,
"One of my friends before I moved to Ponyville passed away five days ago." Pinkie Pie replied,
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, go on, Pinkie Pie." Mrs. Cake said, and Pinkie Pie began trotting to the location of the funeral.
Pinkie Pie arrived at the funeral and saw Fiery Heart sitting in a chair, she looked exactly the same as when Pinkie Pie first met her, she sat with her,
"How you been holding up?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"I'm managing, but still sad." Fiery Heart replied,
"How did Cool Head pass?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"Old age, passed away peacefully in his sleep." Fiery Heart replied, Pinkie Pie was still sad, but happy he passed away peacefully,
"Well, I hope he's reunited with his wife." Pinkie Pie said,
"Me too, I still miss my spouse." Fiery Heart replied, she was on the verge of tears, Pinkie Pie comforted her until she got herself back together, Pinkie Pie sat and looked back while a male earth pony read the eulogy.
Pinkie Pie got a letter from Frosty while she was traveling Equestria, she wanted Pinkie Pie to help a friend of hers, the letter said this friend of hers was going through a rough time, and did not say what it was. Pinkie Pie goes to where the address on the paper was, and all it said was the mare's name was Fiery Heart, Pinkie Pie headed to where the mare lived. Pinkie Pie arrived at the address and heard bawling in the house, Pinkie Pie knocked on the door three times,
"Fiery Heart, if you're in there, my name's Pinkie Pie, Frosty sent me." Pinkie Pie said, the door opened and Pinkie Pie saw Fiery Heart, she was a crying mess, she had black mascara running down her face,
"Can I come in?" Pinkie Pie asked, she was very worried about Fiery Heart already,
"Sure." Fiery Heart replied, she sniveled a bit and let her in. Pinkie Pie walked in and saw the inside of the house was mostly dark and gray,
"Hey, this house is a bit dull." Pinkie Pie said,
"Sorry, I haven't had the time to decorate." Fiery Heart replied, she still had tears in her eyes, Pinkie Pie looked at her,
"I'll get to the point, I was sent here to help you since you're so upset, I need you to tell me what's wrong." Pinkie Pie said, Fiery Heart began to cry a bit,
"My husband passed away." Fiery Heart replied, Pinkie Pie's feelings sank,
"What happened?" Pinkie Pie asked, Fiery Heart began to tear up and was almost crying uncontrollably,
"I don't want to talk about it." Fiery Heart replied tearfully, Pinkie Pie was skeptical, she got the feeling something really bad happened to her husband,
"Sorry, but I need some time alone, can you buy me some groceries, Pinkie Pie?" Fiery Heart asked,
"Sure." Pinkie Pie replied,
"Okay, the list is by the door, the store's just on the edge of town to the west." Fiery Heart said, and Pinkie Pie grabbed the grocery list and headed out. Pinkie Pie walks to the store while looking around town, she smiled even though she felt gloomy in the town, the entire town was shrouded with white fog, and every house and building was gray, she sees the store was a regular store, it was not gray like the other parts of the town, and she entered. Pinkie Pie pushed a shopping cart around and bought what Fiery Heart wanted,
"Where is everypony?" Pinkie Pie asked herself, she keeps pushing the shopping cart around until she came across an elderly unicorn stallion, he looked sad, so she went to him,
"Excuse me." Pinkie Pie said, the stallion looked at her,
"Are you alright?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"Sorry, I was just thinking about my wife." the stallion replied, Pinkie Pie sensed something was wrong,
"Where is she?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"She... passed away from illness six days ago." the stallion replied, Pinkie Pie began to feel sad,
"Oh, I'm sorry, is there anything I can do to help?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"Not at the moment, but I do wish for some time alone right now." the stallion replied,
"I'm Pinkie Pie, by the way." Pinkie Pie said,
"Cool Head." the stallion replied,
"Well, it was nice meeting you, but I have to go now." Pinkie Pie said,
"Okay, hope we meet again." Cool Head replied, and Pinkie Pie went over to where she checks out the groceries,
"Huh? Where's the cashier?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"Oh, uh, about that." Cool Head replied as he walked over to her,
"You see, this is the time of the year when our town starts to lose its 'color', the other ponies have left to see their families, they'll be back next season." Cool Head said, it was currently the end of autumn, and winter was about to start,
"So, how do I buy the groceries?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"Just write down what you bought on that paper there, how much it cost, and put your bits on the counter." Cool Head replied, and Pinkie Pie did, she reached into her saddlebag to put money on the counter, the two walk out together,
"I'll be going this way." Cool Head said,
"Okay, take care." Pinkie Pie replied, and she walked to the east while Cool Head headed west.
Pinkie Pie arrived at Fiery Heart's home with the groceries,
"Fiery Heart, I'm back." Pinkie Pie said, she heard Fiery Heart crying in a room, she put the groceries down and walked to where she heard the crying. Pinkie Pie opens the door and sees Fiery Heart laying in a double bed, she was on the right side, she cried her eyes out with her head on the pillow,
"Fiery Heart?" Pinkie Pie asked, Fiery Heart just kept crying with her head on the pillow, Pinkie Pie walked over and was about to touch Fiery Heart with her front right hoof to check on her,
"I see you, Pinkie Pie, please, I want to be alone for now." Fiery Heart said, and Pinkie Pie exited the room while Fiery Heart cried her eyes out, Pinkie Pie sat on the couch and listened to Fiery Heart grieve, she could not help but feel bad for her, she began to think about Cool Head and wondered how he has been, so she goes to the bedroom door and knocks on it,
"Fiery Heart, I'm going to be leaving for sometime, I'll be back." Pinkie Pie said,
"Okay, I'll let you know when I feel better." Fiery Heart replied, and Pinkie Pie left while Fiery Heart continued to grieve.
Pinkie Pie headed back to the store and went west afterwards, she looked for Cool Head's house to see how he has been, she looks for his house and sees him in a window, he was looking at something wistfully, she went over to his house's door and knocked on it, Cool Head stood up and walked over, he opened the door,
"Yes? Oh, hi, Pinkie Pie." Cool Head said,
"Can I stay with you for sometime?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"Is something the matter?" Cool Head asked,
"My roommate wants some time alone." Pinkie Pie replied,
"Did something happen?" Cool Head asked,
"She's grieving, she lost her husband." Pinkie Pie replied,
"Oh, I see, tell her she has my condolences." Cool Head said, Pinkie Pie smiled, happy that he was willing to offer his sympathy to someone he does not know,
"Can I stay?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"Sure, make yourself at home." Cool Head replied, and Pinkie Pie entered.
Pinkie Pie entered and sat, Cool Head gave her hot chocolate for her to drink since it was starting to get cold,
"Thank you." Pinkie Pie said as she took the drink, Cool Head sat across from her with his own drink,
"Do tell me, Pinkie Pie, what brings you here?" Cool Head asked,
"Well, you're the only other person I see here, and I was hoping I could get to know about your wife." Pinkie Pie replied, Cool Head smiled,
"My wife was a very kind and sweet mare, I think you would have liked her." Cool Head said,
"What was she like?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"My wife would help out whoever was in need, she and I kept our home open to travelers for them to stay during the night, and they would leave the next day, she and I had many visitors, I usually kept them entertained with stories of my youth, while my wife would take care of the sickly, and give them meals, we had a good time with all of our visitors." Cool Head replied, Pinkie Pie smiled and listened with great interest,
"How did you two meet?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"During a royal guard ball, many years ago, we would dance and have fun, and some of the civilian ponies who wanted to join were welcomed to participate, one of them was my future wife, we danced together with one another, we talked and discovered we liked many of the same things, so we conversed and had fun all night, and after about three years of hanging out and bonding, we began dating, and two years after that, we got married." Cool Head replied,
"Wait, a royal guard ball?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"When I was young, the royal guard did balls and parties, it's a shame we don't do them anymore." Cool Head replied,
"Were they fun?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"Oh yes, it made ponies become friends more often than any other area in Equestria." Cool Head replied,
"Did you and your wife have children?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"No, when we married, we decided not to have children." Cool Head replied,
"Why not?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"Because we were moving from one place to another when I was in the royal guard, it would've been stressful if we had to take care of children as well." Cool Head replied,
"What did you two while married?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"A lot, there are some things I can't do anymore because my wife's not around anymore." Cool Head replied,
"Can you do them with me?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"I'm sorry, Pinkie Pie, but some of those things are private, and only between me and her." Cool Head replied,
"Oh." Pinkie Pie said,
"What do you do for a living, Pinkie Pie?" Cool Head asked,
"I'm a party thrower." Pinkie Pie replied, Cool Head chuckled,
"My wife would've liked you." Cool Head said, Pinkie Pie smiled,
"Would you like to see pictures of me and my wife when we were young?" Cool Head asked,
"Sure!" Pinkie Pie replied,
"This way then." Cool Head said, and he took her to his living room.
Cool Head took out a photo book and showed her the pictures, she saw Cool Head's mane and tail were dark purple when he was younger,
"This was when we got married." Cool Head said as he showed Pinkie Pie the first picture, she saw Cool Head's wife was also a unicorn, she had a dark blue coat, purple eyes, and her mane and tail were dark blue, she had on a white wedding gown,
"This picture was when we went fishing, we fell into the water shortly after we took this picture." Cool Head said as he showed Pinkie Pie the second picture, she saw the two on a brown wooden boat and were fishing,
"What were you two doing fishing out there?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"We just wanted some peace and quiet, and to have fun alone." Cool Head said, Pinkie Pie looked at the picture,
"My wife took this picture when I was trying to impress her." Cool Head said as he showed her the third photo, Cool Head had orange slices on his eyes, whipped cream shaped like a mohawk on his mane, he also had lemon skin in his mouth that was shaped like vampire teeth, Pinkie Pie laughed at the picture,
"I do the same thing at my parties for the little kids." Pinkie Pie said, Cool Head chuckled,
"Yes, foals love this picture, makes them laugh every time." Cool Head replied, Pinkie Pie smiled,
"This one is my wife's birthday." Cool Head said as he showed Pinkie Pie the fourth photo, Pinkie Pie saw she was happy in the picture,
"This picture is another royal guard ball." Cool Head said as he showed her the fifth photo, Cool Head was wearing the royal guard uniform,
"This one is when my wife and I visited her parents." Cool Head said as he showed Pinkie Pie the sixth photo, Pinkie Pie noticed they were all happy, she realized Cool Head's mother-in-law and father-in-law genuinely liked him,
"What about your parents?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"They passed away before I married my wife." Cool Head replied,
"Oh." Pinkie Pie said,
"This one is when my wife and I played with other couples our age." Cool Head said as he showed Pinkie Pie the seventh photo, they all looked happy,
"This photo was taken when my wife and I helped a friend of ours give birth to a foal." Cool Head said as he showed the eighth photo,
"Aw, the foal looks so cute." Pinkie Pie said,
"He was, he's a grown stallion now." Cool Head replied, Pinkie Pie smiled,
"This one was taken when I retired from the royal guard." Cool Head said as he showed the ninth photo, Cool Head now had a gray mane and wore glasses, so did his wife,
"This picture was taken when my wife was on her death bed, she wanted to have one last photo with me before she passed." Cool Head said as he showed the tenth and last photo, Pinkie Pie saw the two were smiling and happy, even though Cool Head's wife was dying. Cool Head closed the photo album afterwards,
"You should head home and check on your roommate, Pinkie Pie, losing a spouse is very painful." Cool Head said, Pinkie Pie nodded,
"I know." Pinkie Pie said sadly,
"Have you lost a spouse before, Pinkie Pie?" Cool Head asked,
"No, I'm single, I plan to stay that way for all of my life." Pinkie Pie replied,
"I see, then you will be spared from the pain of losing your spouse if you do stay single, you should go now, your roommate needs your support." Cool Head said, and Pinkie Pie left.
Pinkie Pie headed back to Fiery Heart's home and entered, she saw her crying with her head on the table, Pinkie Pie trotted to her,
"Fiery Heart?" Pinkie Pie asked, Fiery Heart turned her head to the right,
"Oh, hi, Pinkie." Fiery Heart said, Pinkie Pie sat next to her,
"Are you in the mood to talk about your husband?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"A little." Fiery Heart replied,
"What was he like?" Pinkie Pie asked, Fiery Heart began to tear up,
"He was a kind pony, a thrill seeker, but a kind hearted and caring stallion, he always tried to see the good in people, and forgave those who did bad things, he would also let travelers in our home for them to rest while he and I took care of them." Fiery Heart replied,
"What were you two planning to do together?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"We were going to have a baby, raise a family, and travel Equestria for our child to see." Fiery Heart replied tearfully,
"How did you two meet?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"We were childhood friends." Fiery Heart replied, Pinkie Pie began to feel bad,
"Oh, so you two grew up together." Pinkie Pie said, Fiery Heart nodded while crying silently,
"Do you two know how to take care of a baby?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"Of course, I was a foalsitter before I married my husband, and he worked at a daycare when he was a teenager, we both also took parenting classes when we were teenagers." Fiery Heart replied, Pinkie Pie smiled,
"What was your wedding like?" Pinkie Pie asked, Fiery Heart began to cry her eyes out, Pinkie Pie noticed something was wrong,
"The best day of my life turned into the worst day of my life!" Fiery Heart said, she bawled as she remembered, Pinkie Pie began to feel bad, so she stopped asking her questions,
"I'll... be heading to bed now." Pinkie Pie said, Fiery Heart did not respond and just cried her eyes out, Pinkie Pie took a pink sleeping bag with two yellow balloons and a blue balloon on it out of her mane, she put herself in it and slept.
Pinkie Pie woke up the next morning and saw Fiery Heart sleeping at the table, it was wet from her tears, Pinkie Pie realized Fiery Heart cried herself to sleep, which made Pinkie Pie feel really bad for her, she decided to use some of her tricks and made two of herself appear, one stayed at Fiery Heart's place, and the other stayed at Cool Head's place, she thought she should get to know them better, the two woke up around the same time,
"Good morning." both Pinkie Pies said,
"Oh, morning, Pinkie Pie." Fiery Heart replied,
"Whoa, what are you doing here, Pinkie Pie?" Cool Head asked,
"Well, my roommate wanted some time alone again, and you left your front door unlocked, so I thought I can come in and stay with you." the Pinkie Pie with Cool Head replied,
"I left the front door unlocked? I really am getting old." Cool Head said, Pinkie Pie laughed a bit,
"Are you in the mood to talk about your husband?" the Pinkie Pie with Fiery Heart asked,
"Yeah, better than yesterday." Fiery Heart replied, Pinkie Pie smiled,
"Can I get to know more about you and your wife?" the Pinkie Pie with Cool Head asked,
"Of course, it is fun to look back sometimes." Cool Head replied, Pinkie Pie smiled,
"My husband was born into a poor family, the other foals picked on him and bullied him for fun." Fiery Heart said,
"My wife was born from an upper-middle class family, a few foals bullied her out of jealousy when she was young." Cool Head said,
"He did poorly in school, and his teachers refused to help him on any of his work, his classmates did the same thing to him." Fiery Heart said,
"My wife excelled in school, she helped those who were failing." Cool Head said,
"I was my husband's first friend, I acted as his tutor to help him." Fiery Heart said,
"My wife had a lot of friendly rivals in school, they were always competing for the best grades." Cool Head said,
"When my husband and I became teenagers, we became romantically involved." Fiery Heart said,
"My wife had her first boyfriend as a teenager, but they broke up when her boyfriend moved to the country." Cool Head said,
"My husband and I grew up in this town together, we started dating when we were young adults, neither of our parents approved." Fiery Heart said,
"My wife's father was thinking about getting my wife another romantic interest since she missed her first boyfriend so much, he wanted her to be happy." Cool Head said,
"My parents and his parents had a huge fight over us marrying, my parents hated my husband for being a lower-class pony, and his parents hated me for being a middle-class pony." Fiery Heart said,
"My wife graduated and left home to roam Equestria, she came to the royal guard ball and met me, I was serving as a royal guard for my fifth year during that time." Cool Head said,
"When my husband and I graduated, we spent time together, which led to a fight with our parents, we were disowned, and my parents never looked or spoke to me ever again." Fiery Heart said tearfully,
"My parents approved of our marriage, and we all got along happily." Cool Head said,
"Is that all?" the two Pinkie Pies asked together,
"Yes, you know the rest through my pictures." Cool Head replied,
"All that's left is the day of our marriage, I don't want to talk about it." Fiery Heart replied tearfully,
"Well, I'd like to see you at that area of green grass in the town." the two Pinkie Pies said,
"You mean the park?" Cool Head asked,
"Uh-huh." the Pinkie Pie with Cool Head replied,
"I'll race ya!" the two Pinkie Pies said, and they ran out of the door, Fiery Heart sighed while Cool Heart shrugged, the two trotted out and went to the park.
Fiery Heart and Cool Head headed to the park and the two met one another,
"What the? Pinkie Pie said to meet here." Fiery Heart said,
"She told me the same thing." Cool Head replied, much to Fiery Heart's confusion,
"Good, you're both here." Pinkie Pie said as she walked to them,
"Go on, introduce yourselves." Pinkie Pie said,
"Uh, I'm Fiery Heart." Fiery Heart said,
"Cool Head." Cool Head replied,
"There, now that you two are together, I was hoping you two could comfort and support one another, since you both lost your spouses." Pinkie Pie said,
"Uh, Pinkie, I never met him until now." Fiery Heart replied,
"It's alright, my wife and I helped whoever we came across." Cool Head said,
"See, you're already getting support, Fiery Heart, you don't have to go through the pain alone." Pinkie Pie said,
"You said you lost your wife, right?" Fiery Heart asked,
"Yes, I miss her to this day." Cool Head replied,
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that, but I have things to do myself." Fiery Heart said,
"No, Fiery Heart, I think you and Cool Head are lonely without your spouses, so maybe if you two spent time together, you all might be able to heal faster." Pinkie Pie said,
"Well, I guess it's worth a try." Fiery Heart replied, almost crying,
"I think Pinkie Pie told me about you." Cool Head said,
"Yes, Cool Head, this is my roommate." Pinkie Pie replied,
"Ah, yes, Pinkie Pie stays with me on days you wish to be alone, it's nice to meet you in person." Cool Head said, Fiery Heart smiled,
"Oh, right, Fiery Heart, Cool Head said a few days ago you have his condolences." Pinkie Pie said,
"Thank you, you have mine as well." Fiery Heart replied, Cool Head looked at her, Pinkie Pie realized Cool Head was trying to see what Fiery Heart's body language was saying, Fiery Heart was tearing up as well,
"I'll come by to check on you every now and then." Cool Head said,
"Thank you." Fiery Heart replied,
"Well, do you two want to start a conversation or something?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"No, it's fine, Pinkie." Fiery Heart replied,
"I'll be heading back now, I live on the westernmost part of the town, you're welcome to come by anytime." Cool Head said, Fiery Heart nods,
"I live to the east, my house is easy to find." Fiery Heart replied, and the two began to part ways, Pinkie Pie followed Fiery Heart. Pinkie Pie watches Fiery Heart and they come to an area in the town, Fiery Heart looks at the place and begins to tear up, she fell to her hind knees and sobbed loudly. Pinkie Pie becomes very worried and runs to her, she did her best to comfort her,
"What's the matter, Fiery Heart?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"This is where my husband lost his life." Fiery Heart replied tearfully, Pinkie Pie became very shocked and looked at the area, it was mostly gray like the rest of the town, and white fog concealed most of it, Fiery Heart kept sobbing loudly,
"Hey, let's go." Pinkie Pie said as she shook her, Pinkie Pie carried Fiery Heart while she covered Fiery Heart's vision from seeing the place, Pinkie Pie carried Fiery Heart home while she cried her eyes out. Fiery Heart continued to cry when Pinkie Pie got her home, she tried her best to comfort Fiery Heart while she cried her eyes out on the table. Knocking was heard on the door and Pinkie Pie opened it, she saw Cool Head,
"I can hear her all the way from my home, is everything alright?" Cool Head asked,
"We just went to the area where her husband passed away." Pinkie Pie replied,
"Oh my, her grief must've overrode her senses, I still become sad when I visit the hospital room where my wife passed." Cool Head said, Pinkie Pie's empathy kicked in instantly,
"Can I see her?" Cool Head asked,
"Sure." Pinkie Pie replied in a sad tone, and Cool Head entered, he went to go comfort Fiery Heart, Pinkie Pie went over and comforted the two of them,
"Thank you, I feel better now, you two can let go." Fiery Heart said, and they do,
"You never did say how your husband lost his life, Fiery Heart." Pinkie Pie said,
"I'm still not in the mood to talk about it." Fiery Heart replied,
"Give her time, Pinkie Pie, she needs to come to terms with it, I'll be heading home now, I'll stop by when I have the time." Cool Head said, and he left, Fiery Heart stood up without saying anything and went to her bedroom. Pinkie Pie decided to examine the house to see if she can find anything, the house only had five rooms, the kitchen, the living room, the bedroom, the bathroom, and a fifth room behind a locked door, Pinkie Pie believed something important was back there, so she decided to ask Fiery Heart tomorrow, she went to sleep in the living room and slept in her sleeping bag.
The next day comes and Fiery Heart walked to the living room after using the bathroom,
"Good morning." Pinkie Pie said,
"Morning, Pinkie." Fiery Heart replied,
"Can I ask you something, Fiery Heart?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"Yes?" Fiery Heart asked,
"What's behind that locked door over there?" Pinkie Pie asked, Fiery Heart began to tear up uncontrollably,
"You okay?" Pinkie Pie asked worriedly,
"That's... my memento room." Fiery Heart replied tearfully, Pinkie Pie was able to deduce that the things in the room were what reminded her of her husband,
"Don't you have work?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"No, I couldn't bear being a foalsitter after my husband's passing." Fiery Heart replied, Pinkie Pie's heart sank,
"Well, can I enter that locked room?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"No, it's very special to me." Fiery Heart replied,
"I was sent here to help you recover, Fiery Heart, if you don't tell me, I can't help you." Pinkie Pie said,
"I know, but that room is kind of private to me." Fiery Heart replied,
"Oh." Pinkie Pie said,
"Well, if you really want to take a look, the key is under my pillow in my room." Fiery Heart said,
"Okay, I'm going to go check on Cool Head now." Pinkie Pie replied,
"Alright, tell him I hope he gets better." Fiery Heart said, and Pinkie Pie left.
Pinkie Pie walked through the town and saw the fog has gotten thicker, and the town looked grayer, but she went to Cool Head's house. Pinkie Pie knocks on the door and Cool Head opened the door,
"Why, hello, Pinkie Pie." Cool Head said happily,
"Hi, Cool Head, I'm just here to check on you." Pinkie Pie replied,
"I've been fine, I came to terms with my wife's passing before you and I met." Cool Head said,
"Really? You sound like you're still sad to me." Pinkie Pie replied,
"I am, but I had time to get over it in a few days, I keep myself happy by looking at the good times my wife and I had together." Cool Head said,
"What? I think that would make you sadder." Pinkie Pie replied,
"Everypony's different, Pinkie Pie." Cool Head said,
"Is there anything to share?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"I already told you everything about my wife." Cool Head replied,
"I know that, I was asking about you." Pinkie Pie said,
"Oh, well, I'm just an average pony, I was born in a regular family, learned magic, and joined the royal guard, that's pretty much all, you learned about most of my life through the photographs." Cool Head replied,
"Oh." Pinkie Pie said,
"You look cold, would you like some hot cocoa?" Cool Head asked,
"Sure." Pinkie Pie replied,
"Come on in, then." Cool Head said, and Pinkie Pie entered his house.
Pinkie Pie drank hot cocoa with Cool Head and thanked him for the drink,
"Do you wish for your wife to come back, Cool Head?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"Sometimes, but she and I have already come to terms to one of us passing away before the other long ago, I mean, we are elderly now, and we knew that day would come eventually, but we didn't know which one of us would pass away first." Cool Head replied,
"I'm surprised you're not grieving very often." Pinkie Pie said,
"Well, it was taboo for colts and stallions to cry when I was a foal, I guess I still hold onto that belief." Cool Head replied,
"It's okay to cry, Cool Head, go on, let it out." Pinkie Pie said,
"I already did." Cool Head replied,
"Did you cry when your wife passed?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"A little bit." Cool Head replied,
"Wow, you're just like my ma and pa, they wouldn't cry if one of them passed away." Pinkie Pie said,
"Not even your mother?" Cool Head asked,
"No, my mother is very strong, she gave birth to me and three other children." Pinkie Pie replied,
"Impressive, my wife wouldn't want to give birth to four kids, just one would've been enough for her." Cool Head said, Pinkie Pie chuckled,
"How about Fiery Heart, how has she been?" Cool Head asked,
"Still crying, she has a memento room, she said I can go in there if I want to." Pinkie Pie replied, Cool Head's attention was caught,
"Be really careful in there, Pinkie Pie, that room is likely a room to help her remember her dead husband, don't touch anything in there, and more importantly, don't break anything, those things in there are things she holds onto dearly, it would break her heart even more if you break them." Cool Head said,
"I will make sure to be extra careful." Pinkie Pie replied,
"Good, go on and leave now, I wish to grieve alone." Cool Head said,
"Okay, see you next time, Cool Head." Pinkie Pie replied, and she got out of his house and hopped to Fiery Heart's home.
Pinkie Pie opened the door to Fiery Heart's house and entered,
"Fiery Heart." Pinkie Pie said, there was no response, she looks and saw Fiery Heart was not at the table anymore, she checks Fiery Heart's room and saw her asleep, her pillow was wet, Pinkie Pie realized Fiery Heart cried herself to sleep again, much to her sorrow. Pinkie Pie decided she needed to enter the memento room if she wanted to help Fiery Heart, so she puts her front right hoof under Fiery Heart's pillow, she was very gentle and slow so she does not wake her, she feels the key and grabs it, she left the room afterwards.
Pinkie Pie went to the locked door and unlocked it, she entered a room with several items, there were two balloons to the far sides of the room,
"It's a boy" the blue balloon to the right said,
"It's a girl" the red balloon to the left said,
Pinkie Pie walks forward and looks at the items, she saw a picture of Fiery Heart and her husband, he was a Pegasus, just like her, he had a bright red coat, a short yellow mane, and orange eyes, his cutie mark could not be seen in the picture, the two were smiling and happy. Pinkie Pie saw a gray stroller to her left, which saddened her, she saw two gold wedding rings to her right, Pinkie Pie closed her eyes in sorrow. Pinkie Pie looks forward and saw a black tuxedo and a white wedding gown in front of her, she realized it was the outfits of Fiery Heart and her husband on their wedding day. Pinkie Pie walks forward and saw a newspaper article, she looks at it and reads, she saw Fiery Heart's name in it, and it was about her wedding, she keeps reading and gasps loudly in extreme shock, Fiery Heart's husband was murdered. Pinkie Pie's mouth was wide open and her eyes began to tear up, she closed her eyes and her tears fell down her cheeks, Pinkie Pie exited the room and closed it, she went onto the couch and began to cry at what she has read, she fell asleep in a few minutes.
Pinkie Pie wakes up the next day and saw Fiery Heart sitting across from her at the table,
"Good morning, Pinkie." Fiery Heart said, Pinkie Pie got off the couch and sat on the floor across from Fiery Heart,
"Fiery Heart, I saw the newspaper article on your wedding day." Pinkie Pie said, Fiery Heart began to tear up,
"Fiery Heart, I know it's hard for you, but if you don't tell me what happened, I won't be able you to help you." Pinkie Pie said, Fiery Heart pulled herself together while she still had tears rolling down her cheeks,
"My husband and I already planned our future, we were going to have a baby and travel Equestria, we prepared the wedding, there was a bunch of people there, we said our vows, and then we kissed one another, but as soon as we did, a unicorn shot a zap out of his horn and hit my husband in the back of his head and took his life, I looked on with shock, but I saw the pony who killed my husband, he was one of his childhood bullies, he picked on him everyday, stole his lunch, wouldn't let him befriend anyone, try to get him in trouble for things he didn't do, and follow him home, but my husband improved and turned his life around, and that bully of his got stuck with a dead end job and was having money problems, so he was mad, and killed my husband, I also saw him when I grieved at my husband's grave, he saw me in tears, he smiled at me, he laughed, he was happy about the pain he caused me." Fiery Heart replied, she began to bawl again, Pinkie Pie became sad and hugged her in an attempt to comfort her. Fiery Heart cried on Pinkie Pie's left shoulder while Pinkie Pie patted Fiery Heart's back to comfort her the best she could.
Pinkie Pie creates a doppelganger of herself outside the home and heads to Cool Head's house, he lets her in and the doppelganger explains the situation about Fiery Heart's husband,
"Goodness gracious, you need to be with her whenever possible, Pinkie Pie." Cool Head said,
"Why?" Pinkie Pie's doppelganger asked,
"I cannot imagine the pain she is going through now, it sounded like they were going to have a wondrous and blissful marriage together, only for it all to be snatched away from her just like that, their marriage ended before it could even begin." Cool Head replied, Pinkie Pie's doppelganger was nearly crying,
"You should tell her to try to look at photos at the times they had together." Cool Head said,
"I don't think she has any." Pinkie Pie's doppelganger replied,
"Oh my, I'll be heading there shortly." Cool Head said, and Pinkie Pie's doppelganger exited his house and disappeared when he was not looking.
Pinkie Pie continued to comfort Fiery Heart the best she could, knocking was soon heard at the door,
"Fiery Heart, it's me, can I enter?" Cool Head asked,
"Come in." Fiery Heart replied, and Cool Head opened the door, he entered and trotted to Fiery Heart, he sat down and hugged her to comfort her,
"I am sorry, Fiery Heart, I can't imagine how you feel right now." Cool Head said, Fiery Heart continued to cry,
"Where is the pony who took your husband's life?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"He's already been caught." Fiery Heart replied, Fiery Heart continued to cry her eyes out while Pinkie Pie and Cool Head attempted to comfort her. Fiery Heart calmed down a bit and sniveled a bit,
"I think you two should go for a walk together." Pinkie Pie said, the two agreed and they left, the two walked around the park and Pinkie Pie followed them from behind to watch them, Fiery Heart talked about her husband while Cool Head talked about his wife, the two grew sad as they spoke, they began to comfort one another, Pinkie Pie wanted to join, but decided they should have some time alone to bond, so she watched from afar.
Fiery Heart and Cool Head began seeing one another every day and they walked around the park while talking about their marriages, Fiery Heart talked about the plans she and her husband had while Cool Head talked about what he and his wife went through together, Pinkie Pie would join them every once in a while. Cool Head began visiting Fiery Heart at her house every day to check on her and would sometimes bring her gifts to make her feel better, while Fiery Heart would sometimes visit Cool Head to see how he has been, he was coping with the loss of his spouse a lot better than she was. Pinkie Pie was with Fiery Heart one day and watched Cool Head comfort her,
"Wow, you're really going out of your way to make her feel better, Cool Head." Pinkie Pie said,
"My wife would've done the same thing." Cool Head replied, Pinkie Pie and Fiery Heart were touched by his words, and he went back home.
Pinkie Pie was leaving the next day and Fiery Heart and Cool Head were wishing her goodbye,
"The snowstorm's about to come, Pinkie Pie, you should head back." Cool Head said,
"But what about you two?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"We go through it every year, newcomers can't handle it, you should head home, Cool Head and I will stay in touch and visit one another." Fiery Heart replied, Pinkie Pie smiled, but soon began to tear up,
"Don't cry, Pinkie Pie, you can visit us anytime." Cool Head said,
"That's not why I'm sad, I'm sad because I promised Frosty I'd help Fiery Heart get over her problem, and I failed." Pinkie Pie replied,
"It's not your fault, Pinkie Pie, getting over the loss of a loved one takes time, years, and some people never get over it." Cool Head said,
"It's alright, Pinkie, Cool Head can support me now, and I met him because of you, for that, you have my gratitude." Fiery Heart said, Pinkie Pie was still sad,
"Go on now, Pinkie Pie, you're welcome to come visit us anytime." Cool Head said, the three hugged one another and Pinkie Pie walked out of the town when it began to snow, sad that she was unable to help Fiery Heart and Cool Head get over their problems.
Pinkie Pie and Fiery Heart sat at the funeral and the eulogy ended,
"Can I stay with you, Pinkie Pie?" Fiery Heart asked,
"Of course." Pinkie Pie replied, and the two went to Sugarcube Corner. Fiery Heart stayed in Sugarcube Corner and still grieved over her husband, and now grieved over Cool Head, Pinkie Pie was sad as well, but she did not grieve at the moment,
"You still haven't gotten over your husband?" Pinkie Pie asked, Fiery Heart shook her head,
"No." Fiery Heart replied, she had tears roll down her eyes, Pinkie Pie trotted to her and the two hugged one another.
The next day comes and Fiery Heart still stayed at Sugarcube Corner, Mrs. Cake and Sugar Belle were with her,
"Oh, dearie me, I am so sorry, Fiery Heart, you should thank Pinkie Pie, she did all she could." Mrs. Cake said,
"I know, but it wasn't enough, things never been the same ever since he was murdered." Fiery Heart replied,
"Oh dear, I am so sorry to hear that, feel free to help yourself around the shop, Mrs. Cake's husband will be around to help you as well." Sugar Belle said, and they comforted Fiery Heart while Pinkie Pie watched with sorrow. Fiery Heart saw the Cake twins and teared up since she was planning to have children of her own before her husband's death, she began to cry and Pinkie Pie ran to her and comforted her along with Mrs. Cake and Sugar Belle, Fiery Heart grieved while the three mares did the best they could to help her.
Two weeks pass and Fiery Heart left Ponyville two days after Cool Head's funeral, Pinkie Pie was at Carousel Boutique to see Rarity's new dresses, she was planning to show them at a fashion show, Pinkie Pie was enjoying the new dresses while Rarity watched from her desk. Knocking was heard at the door,
"I'll get it!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly, and she opened it, she saw Fiery Heart has come back, with tears in her eyes,
"Fiery Heart? What are you doing here?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"I wanted to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Cake said you'd be here." Fiery Heart replied,
"What is it?" Pinkie Pie asked, Fiery Heart began to tear up,
"Today's the day my husband was murdered." Fiery Heart replied, Pinkie Pie was empathetic while Rarity let out an exclaim of shock and ran to them,
"Pinkie, darling." Rarity said as she touched Pinkie Pie's back with her front right hoof, Pinkie Pie looked at her,
"I think it'll be best if you let me handle this." Rarity said, she focused on Fiery Heart,
"Please, come on in, dear." Rarity said, and Fiery Heart walked in. Rarity and Fiery Heart sat across from one another at a small table and drank tea, Pinkie Pie realizes she never told her friends about Fiery Heart, so Rarity had to hear everything from the beginning. Rarity was careful with her words and Pinkie Pie watched with worry, but she saw Rarity was able to comfort Fiery Heart more than she was ever able to, and she was able to read Fiery Heart's mood and emotions through her body language, which Pinkie Pie was unable to do, she watched Rarity and saw her feel the same emotions as Fiery Heart. Fiery Heart was soon out of tea,
"Sweetie Belle, darling." Rarity said, Sweetie Belle ran down the stairs to them,
"Yes, Rarity?" Sweetie Belle asked,
"Can you get this grieving lady some more tea?" Rarity asked,
"Yes, Rarity." Sweetie Belle replied, and she did, the two continued to converse and the conversation came to end, Rarity and Fiery Heart hugged one another while each one cried,
"Take it easy, darling." Rarity said,
"I'll try." Fiery Heart replied, and she walked to Pinkie Pie,
"I need to stay at your place again for tonight." Fiery Heart said,
"Oki doki loki." Pinkie Pie replied, and she left,
"I'll come check on her later." Rarity said,
"I'll be waiting." Pinkie Pie replied, and she continued looking at the dresses.
Pinkie Pie went home later that afternoon and saw Fiery Heart sitting on the floor, Pinkie Pie went to her and comforted her while Fiery Heart just cried a little and did not react, Pinkie Pie went to bed while Fiery Heart stayed up all night and grieved.
Pinkie Pie wakes up the next morning and goes to Fiery Heart, she was still sad, Pinkie Pie went to her and saw Fiery Heart's eyes were dried, Pinkie Pie comforts her while Fiery Heart just looked down. The door opens and Pinkie Pie saw her five friends enter, they trot to her,
"Is this Fiery Heart?" Twilight Sparkle asked,
"Yes?" Fiery Heart asked,
"These are the rest of my friends, Fiery Heart." Pinkie Pie said,
"Oh, hello." Fiery Heart said,
"We heard from Rarity bout yer husband, so we thought we should come check on ya." Applejack said,
"I've been fine, Pinkie Pie's been comforting me." Fiery Heart replied,
"Really? You don't look fine to me." Rainbow Dash said,
"Yes, your eyes are all dried." Fluttershy said,
"It is?" Fiery Heart asked,
"I'm sorry, Fiery Heart, but yes, it is." Pinkie Pie replied, Fiery Heart looked down and tried to cry, no tears fell out,
"We heard about your husband, we are very sorry about your loss." Twilight Sparkle said,
"Thank you." Fiery Heart replied,
"I've tried my best to comfort her, but I haven't been able to help her get over it." Pinkie Pie said,
"That is why we're here, Pinkie, darling, maybe we can all help her together." Rarity replied, and they sat, Rarity and Fluttershy acted as her therapists, Fiery Heart did not cry, she just looked down with sorrow,
"There, there, sugar cube, take yer time." Applejack said, and they talk things out, they get to the part when Fiery Heart's husband was murdered, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack had shocked faces, Pinkie Pie and Rarity already heard it, but Pinkie Pie remembers Rarity's face when she first heard it, Rarity had a face of like she saw something really bad happen,
"Do you still think about it?" Fluttershy asked,
"Yes." Fiery Heart replied,
"What do you do for a job now, Fiery Heart?" Pinkie Pie asked,
"Cooking, I'm a chef now, I couldn't go back to being a foalsitter." Fiery Heart replied,
"Have things been alright at home?" Rainbow Dash asked,
"Yeah, I'm managing." Fiery Heart replied,
"Why did you come out here to seek Pinkie Pie for?" Twilight Sparkle asked,
"Because she tried to help me before, and the other pony who helped and comforted me is dead, I thought Pinkie Pie was the only pony I had left for support." Fiery Heart replied,
"Well, she isn't, we're her friends, so you have us as well, and I'm sure there are other ponies who will be willing to help you." Twilight Sparkle said, Fiery Heart was surprised, and they continued talking to the point when Pinkie Pie left,
"So that's what happened. Why didn't ya go see Frosty for?" Applejack asked,
"She wasn't available." Fiery Heart replied,
"Well, Pinkie's not just here to help you, all of us are, and we'll help you anyway we can, a problem for Pinkie is a problem for us, and we'll gladly help." Twilight Sparkle said, Fiery Heart smiled,
"Thank you." Fiery Heart said,
"You should go rest, you didn't sleep last night." Pinkie Pie said,
"Alright, I'll be leaving tomorrow." Fiery Heart replied, and she went to sleep in Pinkie Pie's bed, Pinkie Pie's five friends leave and Pinkie Pie sleeps on the floor.
The next day comes and Fiery Heart was already leaving, Pinkie Pie hugged her and Fiery Heart walked out and headed home while Pinkie Pie hoped that she can fully recover from the loss of her husband.